Sheet registering and feeding mechanism



Sept. 22, 1936. w. F. HUCK SHEET REGISTERING AND FEEDING MECHANISM FiledApril 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Shet 1 -INVEN'I"OR ZAC A'r-GY.

. Sept. 22, 1 936. w. F. HUCK v SHEET REGISTERING AND FEEDING MECHANISMFiled April 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet2 W. F. HUCK SHEET REGISTERING ANDFEEDING MECHANISM Sept. 22, 1936.

s sheets-sheet 3 Filed April 25, 1934 before thereturnof the inkedplate.

Patented Sept. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SHEET REGISTERING AND. FEEDING 1MECHANISM William E. Huck; Richmond Hill, N. Y'., assignor, 1by'vmesnemssig nments, to R. Hoe &' Inc,

New York, N Y4, a corporation of New York Application April 25,1934,Serial No. 722,304

'21 Claims. (01. 101-158 This invention relates to printing; machines,-

especially-.- machineszadapted to print vfrom intaglio plates in whichthe printing p1ate='is"se.- cured to. a: bed that is moved backand forthunder .an inking. mechanism and an impression may be. manually placed:and .clamped in. aapredetermined. order. on a, movable-sheet supportingvmember. andautomatically.movedtto advance one. edge oflthel.sheet-between an impression roller and. printing plate. so. that the:advancement ofthesheet. may be. continued. by the impinging action ofthe roller uponthe sheet to effect a I printing operation Itisa.f-urther. objecttoprbvide means. toadvance. the. sheet supporting..member in. uni-son with the forward-movement of.-the..prir'1ting=plateand .tola'utomatically.release the sheet supporting member. atter thesheetris engaged by the impressionroller. I

Itis a further .obj ect to-quicklyreturn said sheet supportingmembertothe. sheet loading position to.- allow. an operatorsufiicienttime. for reloading A. stillfurther objectis to provide means.to prevent the..sheetsupportingplate from being advanced until the sheetis properlyarranged in its predetermined registered. position.

It is also an'object of-the-invention to provide asheet supportingandieedingzdevice of generally improved-construction, wherebythedevicewilllbe-simple, durable andinexpensive in construction,.-.as well as=convenient,-. practical, serviceable andlefficient inits-use. V

With the foregoing and other objects in view; which will appear. asthedescription proceeds, the invention residesrin the combination andarrangement. of parts; and in the-detailsof constructionhereinafterldescribed and claimed... 7 I

In-general; aprintingmachine for which the invention is especiallyadapted; comprisesa bed having -'a.-:printing plate mountectthereonwhich is reciprocatedforward. andrea-rward under an im-. i pressionroll, inking member and ink w-iper'in Whemmoving forward,; the'printingiplate will receive a sheet and will movebeneath and in engagement withthe: impression roll to effect printing operation. I

The device according to. this-invention, which cooperates: with thereciprocable printing plate, comprises a; means whereby a sheet maybemanue allyset and clamped in an exactposition on an in-l termittentlymovable. platewhile said-plate isin an idle position.v Aft-erproperlyclampingsaid sheet, the movable plate is adapted. torbe engagedby the reciprocable bed uponwhichsthe printing plate is mounted, and is:then. carriediorward until-the end of the sheetengages. the impressionroller, whereupon-the. movable plateisautomatically, released to bereturned. toitsnormal sheet loadingposition. l

The preferred 1 embodiment of the invention. is illustratedin .theaccompanying drawingswhere- Figure 1 .is a. side elevational. view of;the. sheet feeding. mechanism, with,.par.t's.' broken. away,

showing the sheet close. to its delivery position and gripper andlatchingmechanismin aposition corresponding therewith;

Figure 2 is a.view1 similarto Figure 1 on are.- duced scale and showingthe position :of .thelat'ch mechanism after engaginga stop.member;,

' Figure. 3 .isan enlarged'vi'ewof the latchfm'echae msmin the, sameposition .as that of. Figure 2.7.. v

Figure 4 is a plan View ofethe sheet feeding. mechanism. with the.parts. in agreement. with the. position shown inFigureZ; Figure 5. isanelevational .vi'ew-similar to Figure 2 but showing-.the sheet.feeding.mechanism returned to its normallstarting position; v Figure. 6.is..a..vertical.section,t ken. onthe line Got-Figure 3;v and.

Figure? is a. fragmentary detail. section taken on the-line 1 ofFigurel.

A. printing. platel l: is secured. to. a...reciprocat-,

ing bedPIZ; which.bed..is.adapted to moveuthe.

printing plate. anda blank-sheet, l3 .thereoninto engagement with. thesurface of. an. impression. roller M during' its movementin aforwarddirection,..ancl'.-in. spaced relation to saidimpres sionro-ller on the.returnmovement. thereon, The driresforzsaid bedis. not shown .Amechanism .isprovided to. automatically feed the blank sheets-.iitothe.inked printing. plate. as. said. plate moves forward. toward. the impression roller, which mechanism comprises amovable plate.- -I 5slidablymounted; on. bars. l6, said. bars being; supported: by suitable,brackets; -I l secured to themachineframe Hi.-v The means. for supporting the.-;movable.plate I 5 upon the bars. Hi

comprises slide blocks l9, which are fixed to said plate 15, and haveopenings 2| therein, through which the bars l6 pass. Coil springs 22 areextended between lugs 20 projecting below the movable plate l5 and theouter brackets I! and are adapted to normally retain the said plate in arearward or loading position as shown in Figure 5. When in said latterposition, a pair of pistons 23, fixed to the outer brackets ll, projectinto chambers 24 fora purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The forward end of said movable plate I5 is of a rack formation with anumber of equally spaced teeth 25 bent angularly downward, and slightlyto the rear thereof are gripper fingers 26, which are mounted on a shaft21, and said shaft is rotatably mounted in end bearings 28 secured tothe said plate [5. Two side stops 29 are secured to the movable plate I5by means of screws 3| and are laterally adjustable thereon.

A manually operated gripper set and automatic release mechanism is alsocarried by the movable plate l5 and arranged in duplicate along eachside of said plate. Referring to the mechanism of one side only, thesame comprises a hand lever 32 having a hub member 32 fixed to a rockershaft 33, which shaft is rotatably -mounted in bearings 3434 secured toand projecting below the movable plate l5. A link 35, positioned abovethe plate I 5, is connected at one end to the hand lever 32, whichprojects upward through an opening 36 in said plate, and to a lever 31secured to the gripper finger shaft 21.- Forming a part of the handlever member 32', is a rearwardly extending arm 38 which has a roller 39mounted at the end thereof, and a downwardly projecting portion has 2.lug 4| bent outward therefrom. A detent plunger 42 is slidably mountedwithin a bore 43 in a housing 44, and is maintained in yieldableengagement with the roller 39 through the pressure of a spring 44positioned within the bore.

Adjacent said hand lever member 32' is a latch lever 45, which is freelymounted on the rocker shaft 33 and is joined to the hand lever arm 38 bymeans of a pin 46, in the arm 38, which projects into an elongated slot41 in the latch lever. A shoulder lug 4D is provided on the upperportion of the latch lever to stop the movement of same in onedirection. I 7

Directly beneath the movable plate I5 is a stationary plate 48 which hastwo side wings 49 supported on blocks 50 on the machine frame I8 and itsrear end is supported on the rear bracket H, as shown in Figure 4. Theforward end of said plate 48 is fluted, as shown at 5|, and is arrangedso that the spaces between said flutes are in alignment with the rackteeth 25.

The bed [2, with its printing plate thereon, slides forward and backwardalong the plane shown in the drawings and said bed has a hook 52 securedat each side of the rear end thereof, which hooks are adapted to engagethe latch levers 45-45 located at each side of the movable plate I5. Theinner end of each hook 52 is beveled at 53 and is adapted to engage theend of a latch lever 45 and the outer end of each hook is beveled asshown at 54. Stop pins 5555 are secured within the ends of the blocks5il--50, and are positioned in the path of the lugs 4I4l on the handlever member 32'.

A plurality of end stops 56 are provided which cooperate with the sidestops 29 when registering a sheet on the movable plate I5, and aresecured toa transverse shaft 51 supported in bearings 58, which bearlngsare mounted at each side of the machine frame. Each of said end stops 56is provided with a toe 59 which will engage the. upper surface of thestationary plate 48 upon the fluted portion thereof exposed between theteeth 25, when the movable plate 15 is in the sheet loading positionshown in Figure 5. While in said position, a sheet, I3 is placed on themovable plate, with one end extended beyond same, and is properlycentered thereon by its engagement with the end stops 56 and side stops29. A rocker arm 6| is secured at the end of the shaft 51, and isadapted to be rocked periodically through a link and lever arrangementindicated generally by the reference character 62 which are actuated, byone of the machine movements (not shown) in such manner as to lower thestops 56 when the movable plate i5 is returned to the stationaryposition shown in Figure 5, and to raise said stops before the movableplate is moved forward again.

The operation of the device will now be described:

When the movable plate I5 is in an idle or sheet loading position, shownin Figure 5, an operator willplace a sheet l3 upon the surface of saidmovable plate and center same by moving the front edge into engagementwith the toes 59 of the end stops 56, While the sides of the sheet willengage the side stops- 29. The sheet is then clamped in its registeredposition by means of the hand lever 32, which is, moved rearward fromthe position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 5, andduring its movement, will cause the gripper fingers 26 to be lowered toengage the sheet through the link and lever con- During the period inwhich the blank sheet is being set up for a printing operation, the bed12 with the printing plate ll thereon is normally traveling across themachine to print and discharge the sheet and then returns to a startingposition. Before the bed l2 reaches the end of its rearward movement,the cam portion 54, at the end of each hook 52, will rock the looselymounted latch levers 45 upwardly around the shaft 33, after which theywill drop in front of the beveled inner ends 53 of the hooks. Thedownward movement of the latch levers is limited by theengagement of theshoulder lugs 40 thereon with the under surface of the movable plate [5.Also during the period that the printing plate is moved beyond theimpression roll, the mechanism for controlling the end stops 56functions to bring the stops into engagement with the movable plate l5,after said plate returns to a sheet loading position, and before themovable plate is again moved forward the 'end stops are lifted.

Having reached the end of its rearward movement, the bed l2 will againstart its forward movement, and as it moves, the latch lever 45 at eachside ofthe movable plate will be engaged by the beveled portions 53 ofthe hooks 5 2. This condition will force the shoulder lugs 40 of saidlatch levers backward against the under side of the movable plate, andwill cause the of tthe-qh-andi leverarms;38, strike the stoprpins 5.5;:Upon the aengagement -:of, said lugs withrthe stop pins, the hand leverswill be thrown forward in:a mannerindicatedin Figurefigand-athe gripper:fingers: willabe; released rfrom: thein. clamped engagement: with: the:blanka. sheet just, as; the said: sheet is'aimpinge-d between.- the.-.impression ro-ller and'the printing plate. a

When the ;handlovers are thrown: forwar thewpins 46 thereon will strikethe upper; walls of the: slots 41 and: will thereby? Withdrawthe latchlevers ,from, their engagement with the hooks,5-2,, whereupon: themovableaplate. will; be

' released fromits driving; relation withthe :mov

ing bed i I 2-, andwillc be abruptly: r turned by. the springs 2 2, Theshockcaused; by the; abruptv re turn ofr'said movable-i plate issabsorbedby the action ofthe piston and. chamben-members23r-and 24, asthe chamber portions slideover. pistons and produce. a; cushioningeifeet.v After said movable plate is returned to its. rest position, itis again ready to have a new sheet placed'and clamped thereon.

If a'condition should occur whereby'timewould not permit a new blanksheet to be. clamped on the movable platezbefore the return, of the bedl2, the. hook 5.2on said bed wouldz pass clear of the latch lever 45,due to the-latter being in aqraised position, and-the printing platewould pass through one cycle; of operationwithout printing a sheet. 7

-It will be understood thatthe invention may be embodied inother-specific rorms without de-. parting from the. spirit. or.,essential. attributes thereof, and it is thereforedesired that .thepres= ent embodiment be. consideredin. all respects. as illustrative andnot.restrictive, reference being had to-the claims rather than .to. theforegoing description to indicate the scopeof theinven:

tion;

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet feeding mechanism-operableupon a printing plate, a. sheetsupportingmember nor: mally maintained in a sheet loading position,means to move. said. sheetzsupporting member to a printingpositiomandmeansto retract. same to. its loading position. while the;printingeration is in progress, l

2. In. asheet feeding mechanismloperable with a. printing. platesupported. upon. afreciprocate ing, bed, a. sheet. supportingmemberadaptedto receive a. sheet while. inla. stationary, position,means to join said sheet supportingmember with the reciprocating bed to.move. the sheet to. a

printing position, and. means .to release saidsheet supporting memberfrom said reciprocating. bed upon reaching said printing position.

, 3.,In a-sheet feeding mechanismoperable with a printingplate supportedupon. a reciprocating bed,.a. sheet supporting member normally, main.tained inv a sheet loading position, a connecting member adapted tomaintain said. leet;.sup.-. porting member in joined, relation.- withthe reciprocating bed to. move same therewith to a printing, position,means to release Said. G011: necting .member after reaching, saidprinting po.-, sition, and retracting meanstovreturn. said sheetsupporting member to. a, sheetz'loadings position while the printingoperationis inplogresss 4. In a sheet feedingmechanism operable with aprinting plate supportedupon a, reciprocating bed, a movable sheetsupportingrplate normally maintained. in a. sheet loading 1 position, va, clamp, ing member to clamp the sheet in a registeredposition,-.meanslengageable with the reciprocating. bedz: to; move saidsheetf supporting: plate therewith, aatstop member to limit the movementofsthessheet supporting plate and. to, release. said clamp,-.. and.means to retract said sheet; supportlngiplate; 5.,.In.a;sheet feeuinmechanism. p r b e with aprinting. platei supported. upon areciprocating bed,.aimovablessheet support ng plate normallymaintainedinaisheet; loading position, a clamplug memberstoiaolarnpqthe; sheet in. a registered position, a:l-atc-h orrpsaid sheetsupporting plate, and:.: means.- onsaid; reciprocating bed. engage:able, therewith to a move. saidssheet supporting plate on theforward-sstroke thereof, .a, stopqto release: said: latch after reachingel -printing. p sition, and means to return'said sheet supporting plate:to:,;its, loading-position. 61;- Inga sheet: feeding. mechanismloperablewith a printing plate. supported. upon av reciprocating 3d;- a= mov blesheet supportin plate. normally maintained in-a.:sheet:loading position,a station: ary plate below-said sheet supporting plate, a movable end;stop engaging'said stationary plate tozlimitthe-end position of a sheet,a: clamp: ingumember'to clamp the sheet in a set-position, and means forremoving the end stops from the endyofi the: sheet after. the sameisclampe means. to, move. the sheet supporting; plate with the.reciprocating bedto; a printing position, and

means; for: retractin said: movable; plate after thersheetisinxsaidiprinting position. I e

7; Irra sheet fee-ding mechanism operable with aprintingplate-supportedupon a reciprocating bed. .a;;m-0vable.. sheet supporting plate;normally maintainedin axsheetloadingiposition;sheet regeisteringmembers; and; a clamping. member to clamp" thesheet in a registeredposition, alatch on said: sheet. supporting plate. and a hook; on

a printi-ngplate supported on a reciprocating'bed, a-movable sheetsupporting plate normally maintainedin asheet loading position, sheetregistering'members and'a clamping member to clamp the sheet'ina'registered'positiong'a' latch on said sheet supportingplate and'a hook'on the reciprocating bedengageable therewith tomove the sheetsupporting plate-to a printing position, a manually actuated lever tomove said clamping member-to a. clamping position and to move saidlatch" into the path of' the hook, and means engageable with an abutmentto move said manuallyactuated lever. to a clamp andlatch' releasingposition.

. 9; .In'asheet f edingmeehanism p rabl with printineplate supporte on arec pr a in a movable sheetsupporting plate normally main.- tained'in asheet loading position, sheet registering .members, clamping members. toclamp the sheet; in a. registered position, alatchon said sheet.supportingplate. and ahook on thereciprccating bed. .engageable,therewith. to move the sheetssupporting, plate to a printing, position,a manuallyactuated lever connected. with said clamping. member and latch.to simultaneously move said clampingmember to a clamping positionandto.move said latchnintothev path of the hook, and an abutment. projectinginto the. path .45 In-a sheet feeding mechanism operable-with of aportion of said hand lever to simultaneously release said clamp andlatch members.

10. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller anda reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting plate adaptedto have a sheet deposited thereon, means to move said sheet supportingplate forward until the sheet is impinged between the impression rolland the printing plate, means to release said movable plate directlyupon the impingement of the sheet, and means to return said movableplate to a sheet loading position to permit the deposit of another sheetthereon while the printing of the previous sheet is in progress.

11. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller anda reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting platenormally maintained in a sheet loading position, registering stops toguide a sheet in position on said plate with one end of said sheetoverhanging the edge thereof, means to move said sheet supporting plateforward with the printing plate until the overhanging end of the sheetis impinged between the impression roll and printing plate, and means torelease said movable plate for the return thereof.

12. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller anda reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting platenormally maintained in sheet loading position, a stationary platepositioned beneath said sheet supporting plate, intermittently movingend stops engaging said stationary plate ahead of the sheet supportingplate to permit one end of a sheet to overhang said supporting plate,means to move said sheet supporting plate in unison with the printingplate and with the overhanging edge of the sheet engaging said printingplate, and means for releasing said sheet supporting plate when thesheet engages the impression roll.

13. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller anda reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting platenormally maintained in sheet loading position, registering stops tocontrol the position of the sheet on said plate and permitting one endto extend over the edge thereof, clamping members to clamp said sheets,means to move the sheet supporting member forward with the printingplate and with the extended end of the sheet engaging the printingplate, and means to release said clamp and sheet supporting plate whenthe extended end of the sheet is engaged by the impression roll.

14. In a sheet feeding mechanism operable with a printing platesupported upon a reciprocating bed, a slidable sheet supporting plate,guide rails to support said sheet supporting plate, sheet registeringstops, gripper fingers to clamp a sheet in a registered position, latchmembers carried by the sheet supporting plate and hooks on thereciprocating bed adapted to engage said latch members, a manual controlmember to control the position of the gripper fingers and latch members,and means to automatically actuate said manual control member.

15. In a sheet feeding mechanism operable with a printing platesupported on a reciprocating bed, an impression roller cooperating withsaid printing plate, a sheet supporting member adapted to have a sheetplaced thereon, means to move said sheet supporting member with thereciprocating bed to advance the sheet until the leading edge thereof isimpinged between the printing plate and the impression roller, and meansto return said sheet supporting member after reaching said latterposition to permit reloading before the printing plate is in position toreceive another sheet.

16. In a. sheet feeding mechanism'operable with a printing platesupported on a reciprocating bed, an impression roller cooperating withsaid printing plate, a movable sheet supporting member, means toregister a sheet on said sheet supporting member with the leading edgeof the sheet overhanging the leading end of the sheet supporting member,means to move said sheet supporting member forward until the leading endof the sheet is engaged by the impression roller to thereby continue thefeed of the sheet, and means to return said sheet supporting memberafter the sheet is engaged by the impression roller.

17. In a sheet feeding mechanism operable with a printing platesupported on a reciprocating b ed, an impression roller cooperating withsaid printing plate, a movable sheet supporting member, means toregister a sheet on said sheet supporting member, means to clamp a sheetin the registered position, means to move said sheet supporting memberforward until the leading end of the sheet is engaged by the impressionroller to thereby continue the feed of the sheet, means to release thesheet clamping means upon the engagement of the sheet with theimpression roller, and means to return said sheet supporting member to aloading position while the printing operation of the previous sheet isin progress.

18. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet to be printed upon, a sheetsupporting member adapted to receiveand hold a sheet thereon with anedge thereof extending beyond an edge of said member, means to move saidmember with the supported sheet to present the extended edge of thesheet at the point of engagement of an impression cylinder inassociation with a reciprocating printing plate, and means operable whenthe extended sheet edge is gripped between the cylinder and the printingplate to return said sheet supporting member to its initial position toreceive a sheet.

19. In a sheet folding mechanism operable with an impression cylinderand a printing plate, a

sheet-supporting member to carry thesheet to a printing position to beengaged by and between the impression cylinder and the printing plate,means to move said sheet supporting member toward said cylinder, andmeans to retract said sheet supporting member to dispose the supportedsheet upon the printing plate.

20. In combination with a cylinder of a printing machine and areciprocating plate cooperating with said cylinder to act upon a sheet,a sheet supporting member, means to move said member with said plate tocarry a sheet toward said cooperating cylinder and plate, and means toretract said sheet supporting member to dispose the sheet upon saidplate and return the member to its initial position for another sheet.

21. In a printing machine, the combination of cooperating membersoperable to grip and draw a sheet therebetween, a sheet receiving andsupporting member, means to move said member to carry a supported sheetto the cooperating members, and means to retract said sheet supportingmember, when the same has carried the supported sheet to the cooperatingmembers and is gripped thereby, and means to return it to its initialsheet receiving position while the sheet is being drawn between saidmembers by the cooperating action thereof. 7

' WILLIAM F. I-IUCK.

